Fun stuff: Free coffee, live music

Starbucks photo

By Compiled by Andrea Honaker

Published: Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 03:25 PM.

Want a free coffee fix?

For all you coffee lovers, Sunday is your day. Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day, and Starbucks is marking the occasion by celebrating Ethiopia, the country where coffee originated. On Sunday Starbucks customers can:

* Sample Starbucks’ newest whole-bean coffee, called Ethiopia. It’s a single-origin, medium roast coffee with hints of citrus and peppery spice. It hits stores officially on Oct. 1, but customers can try it early on National Coffee Day.

* Get a free Ethiopia-inspired commemorative tasting cup with the purchase of a 1-pound bag of Ethiopia coffee.

Gastonia’s Starbucks is inside the Target on Cox Road. Dallas' Starbucks is inside Ingles, at 715 W. Trade St.

High-schoolers invited to Charlotte youth leadership conference

Area high school students are invited to a Healthy Behaviors Leadership Conference this Saturday. The free event is from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Grimes Student Lounge at Johnson C. Smith University, 100 Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte.

For all you coffee lovers, Sunday is your day. Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day, and Starbucks is marking the occasion by celebrating Ethiopia, the country where coffee originated. On Sunday Starbucks customers can:

* Sample Starbucks’ newest whole-bean coffee, called Ethiopia. It’s a single-origin, medium roast coffee with hints of citrus and peppery spice. It hits stores officially on Oct. 1, but customers can try it early on National Coffee Day.

* Get a free Ethiopia-inspired commemorative tasting cup with the purchase of a 1-pound bag of Ethiopia coffee.

Gastonia’s Starbucks is inside the Target on Cox Road. Dallas' Starbucks is inside Ingles, at 715 W. Trade St.

High-schoolers invited to Charlotte youth leadership conference

Area high school students are invited to a Healthy Behaviors Leadership Conference this Saturday. The free event is from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Grimes Student Lounge at Johnson C. Smith University, 100 Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte.

The conference aims to show students how to use fitness, nutrition, self-confidence and sports psychology to develop and maintain healthy perspectives and practices for their life. It will feature panel discussions, workshops for parents and students, and question-and-answer sessions with educators and industry experts.

The event is funded by The Chris Canty Foundation, which was created by NFL player and Charlotte Latin School graduate Chris Canty. The organization uses sports to positively impact the lives of youths in the community.

To register, visit www.chriscantyfoundation.org. The conference is limited to 300 participants.

Darrell/Sonshyne and J.J. James play at Jackson’s

Jackson’s Cafeteria will host live music on Sept. 26. Darrell/Sonshyne and special guest J.J. James will play from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Gastonia restaurant, at 1453 E. Franklin Ave. James, from Huntersville, has been an entertainer for years and plays several string instruments, including guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, ukuleleand banjo.

Author signs children's book

Author Julie Murphy will sign copies of her new children’s book, “What If We Were All Gray,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 3. The event at the Gaston County Library, 1555 E. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, is open to the public, and books will be available for purchase.

Murphy said the book is about diversity. It follows a little girl named Harmony as she tries to bring to peace to her town and make others understand why being different is OK. Murphy has worked with children, youth and families for more than 19 years. For more information on the book, visit www.whatifwewereallgray.com.